Elevated toilet seat

ABSTRACT

An improved elevated hinged toilet seat with lid of simple construction and ease of installation.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of theprovisional patent application entitled “Elevated Toilet Seat”, filedAug. 14, 2006 and assigned Ser. No. 60/837,134.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

2. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to toilet seats. In particular, it relatesto an improved elevated hinged toilet seat of simple manufacture andease of installation.

3. Description of Related Art

Various toilet seats are known in the art. Thom et al, U.S. Pat. No.6,042,838 issued Apr. 25, 2000 provides a toilet seat with raised handarms to assist the infirm in rising there from. Ellis, U.S. Pat. No.5,708,989 issued Jan. 20, 1998 discloses another toilet seat with raisedbarrel back arms to assist the infirm in rising there from. Both aredesigned for insertion into to hold onto the bowl of conventionaltoilets.

Jackson, U.S. Des. No. 390,931 issued Feb. 17, 1998 discloses aninsertable raised toilet seat designed for insertion into and hold ontothe bowl of conventional toilets. Hunt, U.S. Des. No. 489,438 issued May4, 2004 discloses another insertable raised toilet seat designed forinsertion into and hold onto the bowl of conventional toilets.

Harrison, U.S. Des. No. 291,348 issued Aug. 11, 1987 discloses a hingedelevated toilet seat with no lid.

Light, U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,338 issued Oct. 12, 1993 discloses a toiletheight conversion apparatus including a mounting block and apivotally-connected raisable elevator onto which a conventional toiletseat is attached. It employs a double hinged seat and elevatorconstruction, which is affixed to a conventional toilet. Bemis, U.S.Pat. No. 4,213,211 issued Jul. 22, 1980 discloses another toilet seatelevator device including a mounting block and a pivotally-connectedraisable elevator onto which a conventional toilet seat is attached. Italso employs a double hinged seat and elevator construction, which isaffixed to a conventional toilet. Locarno, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,112issued Apr. 6, 1993 discloses a raised superimposed toilet seatparticularly of use for total hip arthroplasty patients. Locarno, U.S.Pat. No. 5,027,445 issued Jul. 2, 1991 discloses another raisedsuperimposed toilet seat with a securing clamp. Smith et al, U.S. Pat.No. 4,517,689 issued May 21, 1985 discloses a toilet seat usable forboth handicapped and nonhandicapped users selectively raising either aconventional toilet seat or an elevated toilet seat, both hingedlyattached to a toilet.

Cited for general interest is Francke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,660 issuedMar. 9, 1993 disclosing a device for attaching a toilet elevator to thebowl of a toilet.

None of the above references provides a hinged elevated toilet seat ofsimple construction with lid that can be attached to the bowl of atoilet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a hinged raised toilet seat that can beattached to the bowl of a toilet. The toilet seat has a plurality ofspaced around pedestals, which raise the toilet seat approximately twoinches, when mounted, to make it easier for sitting down and getting up.Preferable the pedestals and toilet seat are of unitary construction.The toilet seat is hingedly attached to the toilet bowl edge with anelevated hinge adapted to accommodate the lowered toilet seat to allowthe seat to lie flush against the edge of the bowl. It also has a lidalso hingedly attached, which can be raised for use of the toilet seat.

In one preferred embodiment, the toilet seat is injection molded out ofnylon or plastic with eight 2 inch high pedestals molded as integralparts of the seat. The ends of the pedestals have rubber cushions ontheir bottoms to prevent slippage when in use.

The hinged raised seat is used in the similar manner of a conventionaltoilet seat. The hinge connecting the lid and toilet seat is firstaffixed to the toilet bowl edge via conventional fasteners. Then thehinged toilet seat and lid are either raised or lowered. The attacheddrawings and specification description provides more details of thedevice particularly adapted for use by the elderly.

The present invention is therefore particularly adapted to provide forthe needs of the elderly who have trouble rising from a conventionaltoilet seat. It is inexpensive to make, is readily cleaned, and can beinstalled without special tools to raise the toilet seat height whenattached to a conventional toilet bowl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a preferred fastener.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

One preferred embodiment of the elevated toilet seat 10 is shown in theattached drawings FIG. 1 (top view), FIG. 2 (side view). It comprises araised toilet seat system 10, which has the surface of a toilet seat 2raised approximately two inches to make it easier for sitting down andgetting up. The new device has a hinged lid 1 attached to a toilet seat2 with eight integral two inch high pedestals 3 molded on its undersideto contact a toilet bowl when lowered for use. The lid 1 has rubbercushions la on the underside structured to contact the seat 2 andminimize banging, when the lid 1 is accidentally dropped. The ends ofthe pedestals 3 have rubber cushions 3 a on their bottoms to similarlycushion contact with the rim of a toilet bowl. The hinge 4 connectingthe lid 1 and toilet seat 2 to the toilet bowl is raised and speciallyadapted to accommodate the raised toilet seat 2.

Use of pedestals 3 instead of other structures reduces the weight of thetoilet seat 2 so that it can be lifted easily. The bottoms of thepedestal rubber cushions 3 a are made of a rubber or cushioning materialdesigned to grip the top of the toilet bowl to prevent slippage as wellas cushion forces when the lid is accidentally dropped.

Toilet lid fasteners 5 secure the hinge 4 of the seat 2 to the toiletbowl. Preferred fasteners 5 are shown in more detail in FIG. 3. They area 5/16 inch×2 inch steel slotted head bolts 6 installed with the slottedhead 7 down on each side of the hinge 4. A 5/16 inch×1 inch flat washer8 is placed between the bolt head 7 and bottom of the toilet bowl holeon each side of the hinge 4. A 5/16 inch×12 inch wedge rubber washer 9centers the bolts 6, which are then secured with 5/16 inch nuts 11 foreach side of hinge 4.

This elevated toilet seat system 10 is used in a similar manner asconventional toilet seats and avoids the need for separate seat elevatormeans. It readily adapts a conventional toilet for the needs of theinfirm without expensive hardware. It also is lightweight and installedin the conventional manner without special tools.

Although the illustrations show a closed front round toilet seat 2, anopen front style is also contemplated for either regular sized orelongated toilet bowls.

The above description and specification should not be construed aslimiting the scope of the invention. The scope claims themselves recitethose features deemed essential to the invention.

1. An elevated hinged toilet seat comprising: a. a toilet seat with abottom and center hole sized to fit on the rim of a toilet bowl b. aplurality of pedestals affixed to the bottom of the toilet seat withcushions designed to grip the rim of the toilet bowl, c. an elevatedhinge affixed to the toilet seat structured to hingedly secure thetoilet seat to the rim of the toilet bowl so that the toilet seat willraise and lower so that when the toilet seat is lowered, the pedestalsform multiple contacts with the rim to elevate and support the toiletseat at an elevated height sufficient to make it easier for a user tosit down and get up, and d. a lid with a top and underside sized tocover the toilet seat, when not in use, the lid affixed to the elevatedhinge for raising and lowering.
 2. An elevated hinged toilet seataccording to claim 1, including rubber cushions on the underside of thelid structured to absorb contact with the seat to minimize banging whenthe lid is accidentally dropped.
 3. An elevated hinged toilet seataccording to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pedestals aresymmetrically spaced about the bottom of the toilet seat.
 4. An elevatedhinged toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein the toilet seat has anopen front.
 5. An elevated hinged toilet seat according to claim 1,wherein the toilet seat and pedestals are molded out of one piece.
 6. Anelevated hinged toilet seat according to claim 5, wherein the pedestalsare approximately 2 inches in height.
 7. An elevated hinged toilet seataccording to claim 1, including fasteners associated with the elevatedhinge to secure the elevated hinge to the toilet bowl rim.
 8. Anelevated hinged toilet seat according to claim 7, wherein the fastenerscomprise bolts with rubber washers for centering and screw nuts.
 9. Anelevated hinged toilet seat comprising: a. a unibody toilet seat with abottom and center hole sized to fit on the rim of a toilet bowl with aplurality of pedestals molded to the bottom of the toilet seat withcushion ends designed to grip the rim of the toilet bowl, b. an elevatedhinge affixed to the toilet seat structured to hingedly secure thetoilet seat to the rim of the toilet bowl so that the toilet seat willraise and lower and the pedestals form multiple contacts with the rimwhen the toilet seat is lowered to elevate and support the toilet seatat an elevated height sufficient to make it easier for a user to sitdown and get up, and c. a lid with a top and underside sized to coverthe toilet seat, when not in use, the lid affixed to the elevated hingefor raising and lowering and including rubber cushions on the undersideof the toilet seat.